The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-05
FISH AS BRAIN FOOD.
Professor Atwater Destroys n Cherished Behei
as to the Value of Fish rs Food.


June Century.
Even if fish were richer in phosphorus than
meats or other food materials, this wouid uos
establish its superiority for the nutrition OF sne
brain the production of intellectual energy.
But there is no proof of any especial abundance
of phosphorus in fish. On the contrary an eA-
tended series of analyses in this laboratory naSe
revealed proportions of phosphorus IN the neeH
of our ordinary food fishes differing ID no ini-
Dortant degree from those which have oeen
found 20 occur in the flesh OF the otner anilnaiS
used for the food of man.
Perhaps some of the readers of this viii put
down for an conoclast. as did most nignly
esteemed friend, who babe me, and with All can
dor and seriousness, to beware OF thus ruthiessiy
attempting to uproot an old and Important oe-
lief. But possibly they will have the charity TO
leave me humble place in their conslderation
IL add that there is, after all, a way IN which
fish may make very useful part Of the diet Oh
brain workers.
PSYCHOLOGISTS tell us that the way to pro-
vide for the welfare of the brain IS TO see tnas
the rest of the oody is in good order. that. IN
other words, the OLD proverb of "a sound nina
In a sound body" is sound doctrine. Ana tney
are getting to tell further that one way IN
which brain-work is hindered is by bad dietary
habits, as, for instance overlooking the digestive
organs by taking too much food. Or the vice Oh
overeating Ia vice which we Americans py no
means monopoilzel a considerable part, in this
country at least, and l think in England ana
among well-to-do people on the continent OF
Europe also. is the vice of fat-eatng. we are a
race of fat eaters. If anyone doubts this, think
the statistics to be shown in a succeeding article
will convince him, unless he is ready to deny
the practically unanimous testimony of such facts
as have been able to gather 1t comes about
very naturally and is really due to the fertility
of our SOIL the consequent abundance or 1000,
and the toothsomenass of food materials rlcn III
fatty matters The result of this that the guam
tity of fat in the average Americans dietary is
very large indeed. mainly because of the large
amounts of meats, butter and lard consumed,
and is far in excess of the demands of his body.
unless he Is engaged n very severe muscular
work or exposed to extreme cold, or both. For
people with sedentary occupations, including the
majority of brain workers. this simply means
charging the organism with the burden of get
ting rid of an excess of material. This excess.
the psychologists and physicians assure us, Is
detrimental
If the reader will take the trouble to look at
Diagram Ill of the previous article Of this series.
be will that the flesh of fish contains less fat
than ordinary meats. Some kinds like salmon,
mackerel, white-fish and shad are quite fat, but
the flesh of cod. paddock bass blue-f perch,
founder indeed the majority Of our most com,
mon food fishes. has extremely little of fat and
oily matters
Now it seems to me very reasonable to assume
that brain workers and other people who do not
have great deal of muscular exercise may very
advantageously substitute fish in the place of a
portion of the meat which they would otherwise
consume. lam very we'll aware shatsuch hygiene
advice might come more appropriately
from physician than from chemist
and am therefore glad TO be able
to quote from less authority than
Sir Henry Thompson, who urges ''the value of
fish to the brain worker" on the ground that it
contains, in smaller proportions than meat,
those materials which taken abundantly. de-
mand much physical labor for their complete
consumption. and which, without this produce
unhealthy condition of body, moro or less
incompatible with the and active exercise of
the functions of the brain"
Perhaps ought to add that the studies of the
constitution of the flesh of fish in this labora-
tory, referred to above, well similar inves
legations elsewhere, show that. far as the
nutritive qualities are concerned, the only con-
siderable difference between fish and ordinary
meats is in the proportions of oily and fatty
matters and water The flesh of the fish has
water where meats have fat.